Delayed-action electric switch



Oct. 14, 1952 R, L. WELLS 2,614,132

DELAYED-ACTION ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 3, 1950 2 SHEETS-SHEET l NVENTOR R94 PH A. WELLS Oct. 14, 1952 ,1 WELLS 2,614,182

DELAYED-ACTION ELECTRIC SWITCH Filed Jan. 3, 1950 2 SHEETS-'-$l-IEET 2 INVENTOR imp/, A h mus Patented Oct. 14, 1952 DELAYED-ACTION ELECTRIC SWITCH Ralph L. Wells, Dunedin, Fla.; Tilton S. Wells executrix of said Ralph L. Wells, deceased Application January 3, 1950, Serial No. 136,599 1 Claim. (01. 200-33) I This invention relates to delayed action electric switches and more particularly to a house type switch which will act to extinguish a light with which it is connected a predetermined time interval after the switch has been manually operated to off position.

. It is among the objects of the invention to provide an improved delayed action, manually operated switch which will open a circuit into which it is connected a predetermined time interval after the switch has been manually operated from closed to open position, and can be manually operated to open the circuit immediately, if desired, which will fit into an existing switch receptacle without modification of the receptacle and can be connected into a conventional house wiring system, which is positive in action and entirely safe in use, and which is simple and durable in construction, economical to manufacture, and not subject to malfunctioning in use.

Other objects and advantages will become ap-v parent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claim in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein: Figure l is a side elevation of a switch illustrative of the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the switch illustrated in Figure l; Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of the switch on the line 33 of Figure l;

Figure 4 is a cross sectional view of the switch onthe line 4-4 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of,v the arrows; I Figure 5 is a cross sectional view on the line 55 of Figure 2 and looking in the direction of the arrows; H

Figure 6 is a cross sectional view on the line 67-1-6 of Figure 3;

Figure. '7 is a cross sectional view on the line 1--| of Figure 6; 'Figure 8 is'a cross sectional view on the line 8-8'of Figure 3; and

I Figure '9 is a cross sectional view on the line open end on the side walls of the switch housing 10 near the open side and substantially at the mid-length location of the switch, housing and extends transversely of the hollow interior ofv the housing. This yoke 18 is movable between spaced apart stops I9 and 20 from a switch closing position, as illustrated in Figure 4, in which.

it is against the stop 19 to a switch opening position in which it is against the stop 20.

A manually operated toggle lever 21 is, pivotally,

mounted in the switch housing near the open side and substantially at the mid-length location of the housing and extends outwardly of the housing through an elongated aperture 22 in the cover 16. A coiled toggle spring 23 is compressibly disposed between the closed bottom v end of the yoke 18 and the inner side of the toggle lever 2| and is effective to swing the toggle yoke 18 between its switch opening and switch closing positions as the manually operated toggle lever 2| is moved between its switch opening an switch closing positions.

The end walls 13 and 14 are apertured near the bottom wall 15 and a contact plate is mounted at the inner side of the end wall 13 and is provided with an aperture receiving a termi;

nal screw 25 by means of which an electrical conductor 26 is secured to and electrically connected to the plate 24.

A similar contact plate 21 is mounted withinthe end wall I4 and provided with an aperture for a terminal screw 28 which secures and electrically connects the conductor 29 to the contact plate.

21. The contact plate 24 has an inwardly projecting contact finger 30 thereon and the contact plate 21 is provided with a similar inwardly projecting contact finger 3|. I

A metal disc 32 is pivotally mounted on the inner side of the side wall ll of the switch house ing I0 substantially coaxially with the pivotal connection between this side wall and the toggle yoke l8 and a switch arm 33 is secured to this disc 32 and rotatable therewith. In one position of the disc the switch arm 33 engages at its o'p-' posite ends the two contact fingers 30 and 31 and provides any electrical connection between these fingers thereby closing the switch and in another position of the disc 32 the switch arm 33" is out of contact with the fingers 30 and 31 thereby opening the switch, the two positions of the disc 32 corresponding to the on and of? position to rotate the disc 32 in a switch closing direction and bring the arm 33 into connecting engagement with the fingers 33 and 3|. The disc 32 is provided adjacent the stud 34 with a peripheral notch 35 and a lever 35 pivotally mounted intermediate its length on the side wall I I, as indicated at 31, has on one end a lug 38 which engages in the notch 35 to hold the disc 32 against rotation in its switch opening direction. A leaf spring 39 secured to the side wall of the switch housing contacts the outer side of the lever 35 and resiliently holds the lug 38 engaged in the notch 35.

A first shaft 45 extends transversely of the interior of the switch housing and is journaled at its ends in the end walls and i2 or, if desired, in metal liners 4| and 42 disposed adjacent the inner sides of the housing side walls H and i2 and in which the yoke [8, the disc 32 and the lever 2 may also be journaled. A two lobed cam 43 is secured on the shaft 45 and engages the lever36 atthe end of the lever opposite the lug 38. Angularly spaced apart studs 44 projectfrom oneside of this cam and a rod 45 pivotally connected at one end to the yoke l8, as indicated at 46, has on its opposite endadetent 4! which progressively engages the studs 44 and rotates the cam 43 through one quarter of a revolution each time the toggle yoke l8 is moved fromits switch closing to its switch opening position. When the yoke is moved from itsswitch opening to its switch closing position the detent 41 engages the next stud on the cam. The rod is supported intermediate its length in a guide 48 and is resiliently held in stud engaging position'by a leaf spring 49 secured to the inner side of the side wall I of the liner 4|.

With'the arrangement so far described, if the manually operated lever 2| is moved from its switch closing to its switch opening position once, the lug 38 engaging in the notch 35 in the disc 32 will prevent the disc from rotating to move the switch arm 33 out of engagement with the contact fingers 30 and 3|. However, if the toggle lever be immediately moved to its switch closing position and back to its switch opening position the cam 43 will'be rotated through an additional one quarter revolution by the rod 45 and detent 41 and one of its lobes will engage the lever 36 and move the lug 38 out of the notch-35 thereby freeing the disc-32 to rotate to its switch opening position. Rotation of the disc to its switch opening position is provided by a spring 50 which connects the yoke i8 to the disc in such a manner that the yoke can move to its switch opening position without rotating the disc but will spring bias the disc to move to its switch opening position as soon as the disc is freed from the lug 38.

A second disc is rotatably mounted 'on the side wall 12 or on the metal liner 42 coaxially with the pivotal connection between this liner and the yoke I8 at the open end of the latter, and a spring 52 connects this disc to the yoke in such a manner that the yoke can move to its switch opening position without rotating the disc but the spring will be tensioned thereby to rotate the disc 5| through a predetermined .angular extent. This disc 5| is provided with peripheral gear teeth 53 for driving the escapement mechanism which delays the opening action of the switch for a predetermined time interval after the toggle lever 2| has been moved to its switch opening position.

A second shaft 55 extends transversely of the interior of the switch housing adjacent the shaft 40 and is journaled at its ends in the side walls of the housing or the liners 4| and 42. A gear 56 freely rotatable on the shaft 55 has teeth which mesh with the teeth on the disc 5| and a second gear 5| rotatably mounted on the shaft 55 meshes with a lantern gear 54 mounted on shaft 40. A third shaft 58 extends transversely of the interior of the switch housing adjacent the shaft 55 and is journaled in the housing side wall or the liner 42 and an escapement gear 59 is mounted on this shaft. A pin gear 60 is also mounted on the shaft 58 and secured to the escapement gear 53 and a gear 6| freely rotatable on the shaft 55 meshes with the gear 60.

A balance wheel 52 is mounted on the shaft 4|] I and is driven by a hair spring 63 and a. pallet lever 54 pivoted on the shaft 55 carries pallets engaging the escapement wheel 59 and is operated by the balance wheel 62 through the connection 55. A ratchet pawl 65 carried by the gear 56 engages with the teeth of the gear 6| and a ratchet pawl 6! carried by the gear 6| engages the teeth of the gear 51, both ratchet pawls being operative in the same direction so that the three gears 56, 5| and 51 are driven together in one direction of rotation.

The gears 56, 6| and 57 are locked together for simultaneous rotation in the direction in which they are driven by the spring 52 through the toothed disc 5| when the yoke I8 is moved to its'switch opening position. The force of the tensioned spring 52 acting on the disc 5| under these conditions drives the gear assembly including the gears 56, 6! and 51 and this gear assembly in turn drives the gears 54 and 60. The'speed of rotation of the gear 60 is regulated by the operation of the pallet lever 64 and balance wheel 62 and regulates the speed of rotation of the gear 54 which'rotates the cam 43.

The lantern gear 54 has two separate groups of pin teeth and when it has been rotated an amount sufficient to rotate the cam 43 through one quarter of a revolution its pin teeth come out of mesh with the teeth of the gear 5! so that the spring 52 can run down without imparting any further-rotation to the gear 54 or the cam 43. When the cam 43 is moved through this additional one quarter revolution it operates the lever 36 and releases the disc 32 to move the switch arm 33 to switch opening position.

When the toggle lever is moved to switch closing position the cam is rotated through one quarter of a revolution, as explained above, and the disc 5| will also be rotated by engagement of the yoke |8 with the stud on this disc. The ratchet pawls 66 and 6'! permit the disc 5| to move in this direction without rotating the gears GI and 57 or the gears 60 and 54. Theflrst one quarter rotation of the disc 43 by the rod 45 will, however, rotate the gear 54 to a position in which the forward end of one series of pin teeth of this gear is in position to mesh with. the teeth of the gear 51 so that the gear 54 will be rotated through one quarter of a revolution upon the next movement of the toggle lever to its switch opening position.

The time interval between the moving of the toggle lever 2| to switch opening position andthe further rotation of the cam 43 to free the disc 32 for opening the switch is determined by the con struction of the escapement mechanism and may be regulated to some extent by adjusting the hair spring 63. It has beenfound that a time interval of approximately one minute is ordinarily sufficient to permit a person to turn 011' one switch and safely reach another switch or to leave the house.

The invention may be embodied in other speciflc forms without departing from the spirit or essential characteristics thereof. The present embodiment is, therefore, to be considered in all respects as illustrative and not restrictive, the scope of the invention being indicated by the appended claim rather than by the foregoing description, and all changes which come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are, therefore, intended to be embraced therein.

What is claimed is:

A delayed action manually operated switch comprising a hollow housing having an open side, a yoke disposed in said housing and pivotally connected at its open end to said housing at the open side of the latter, a toggle lever pivotally mounted in said housing and projecting from the open side of the latter, a cover secured to the open side of said housing for maintaining said yoke and said lever in operative assembly with said housing and having an aperture through which said lever extends, a toggle spring disposed between said lever and said yoke for swinging said yoke from one to the other of its two terminal positions when said lever is manually moved between its switch opening and switch closing positions, two discs disposed within and rotatably mounted on said housing one at each side of the housing and both adjacent said yoke, one of said discs having a peripheral notch therein and the other having peripheral gear teeth thereon, a pair of contacts in said housing disposed one at each end of the latter, a switch arm carried by one disc and movable by rotation of said one disc in one direction into engagement with said contacts to close the switch, a stud on each of said two discs, such studs being engaged by said yoke when moving to its switch closing position to impart switch closing rotation to said one disc and similar rotation to said other disc, a first shaft extending transversely across said housing, a two lobed cam and a gear secured on said shaft, angularly spaced apart studs on said cam, a rod pivotally secured at one end to said yoke and having on its opposite end a detent engageable with the studs on said cam to rotate said cam through one fourth of a revolution each time said switch is closed, a lever pivotally connected intermediate its length to said housing and having one end in contact with said cam, a lug on the opposite end of said lever engaging in the notch in said one disc to hold said disc against rotation in a switch opening direction until said cam has been rotated through one half of a revolution, a spring connected between said yoke and said one disc permitting said yoke to move in a switch opening direction without rotating said one disc and spring biasing said one disc to move said switch arm in a switch opening direction when released from said lug, a second shaft extending transversely of said housing, a first gear on said second shaft having teeth meshing with the teeth on said other disc, a second gear on said second shaft meshing with the gear on said first shaft, a third shaft adjacent said second shaft, an escapement wheel on said third shaft, a gear on said third shaft secured to said escapement wheel, a third gear on said second shaft meshing with the gear on the third shaft, ratchet means interconnecting the gears on said second shaft for simultaneous rotation in one direction, a pallet lever mounted on said second shaft engaging said escapement wheel, a balance wheel on said first shaft operating said pallet lever, and a spring connected between said toggle yoke and said other disc for driving said other disc to rotate said cam through an additional one quarter revolution upon movement of said toggle lever to switch opening position, said disc rotating said cam through the escapement controlled gear train to thereby free said one disc from said lug for movement of said one disc in a switch opening direction at a predetermined time interval after said toggle lever has been moved to switch opening position.

RALPH L. WELLS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,870,185 Thornton, Jr Aug. 2, 1932 1,889,334 Kuhn Nov. 29, 1932 1,895,398 Rhodes Jan. 24, 1933 

